The present invention is directed toward a dead end connector with a vibration damper for a fiber optic cable and more particularly toward a connector which does not deform the cable when it is being clamped and connected to another fiber optic cable.
A fiber optic cable is a very small cable that may be protected by an outer, much larger cable comprised of a number of twisted strands of aluminum and steel. These cables are run from one telephone pole to another telephone pole for distribution. When the end of a cable is reached, it may either be clamped so that the fiber optic cable within the protective cable can then be connected to a second cable for further distribution or the cable may be severed and spliced with the second cable. Unfortunately, there are problems associated with both of these methods.
First of all, if the cable is clamped, conventional clamps cannot be used because these clamps create an extreme radial compressive force on not only the outer cable but also on the more sensitive inner optic cable. This compressive force causes not only the outer protective cable to deform but the inner fiber optic cable as well. Secondly, the approach of severing and splicing the cable is not practical because it can be expensive, time consuming, and does not ensure that the fiber optic cable will be protected against deformation.
Several dead end devices have been designed as alternative approaches to cutting and splicing the cable. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,312 to Vockroth. Vockroth discloses a dead end connector with two portions welded together where one portion has a plurality of jaws and the jaws may be serrated. A cable passes through the two portions and the jaws. The jaws grip onto the cable when an explosive charge contained within the device is detonated. In this manner, a transmission cable is dead ended without severing the cable. While this patent discloses a clamp with teeth which grip the outer protective cable of the fiber optic cable in order to prevent severing the cable, it does not ensure that the fiber optic cable is protected against deformation.
Another dead end device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,491 to Champa et al. This patent is also directed toward providing an alternative approach to cutting and splicing the cable but also addresses the problem of an excessive amount of compressive force being applied to the fiber optic cable and damaging the cable. Champa et al disclose an open ended housing assembly which receives a fiber optic cable. The cable is protected by an outer covering and gripping members which are helically wound around the cable. In this device, the housing assembly is slipped onto the fiber optic cable and the gripping members are received and separated by annular flanges. In this manner, the cable is clamped and ready to be connected to another cable without having to sever the cable. This patent, however, does not disclose a clamp with teeth that grip the outer protective cable of the fiber optic cable, thus ensuring that the fiber optic cable will be free from deformation as disclosed in the present invention.